Vegetable or fruit separator.



No. 654,28Iv. Patented luly 24, |900.

' M. P. RICHARDS.

VEGETABLE 0R FRUIT SEPARATUB.

(Application led Apr.' 17, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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MORRIS I). RICHARDS, OF UTIOA, NEWT YORK.

VEGETBLE OR FRUIT SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming-.part of Letters PatentNo. 654,281, dated July 24,1900.

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Be it known that I, MoRRIs P. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and aresident of Utica, Oneida county, New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vegetable or FruitSeparators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a vegetable or fruit separator; and it consistsin the mechanism hereinafter pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l represents a vertical central section of mymachine, the broken lines indicating parts removed. Fig. 2 is aleft-hand view of my machine, taken at the left of Fig. 4, the brokenlines indicating parts removed. Fig. 3 represents a view taken at theright of Fig. 4, the broken lines indicating parts removed. Fig. 4represents a plan view of my machine with the feedinghopper removed.

In the drawings similar numerals refer to corresponding parts in theseveral views.

Having described my invention by the figures illustrated in thedrawings, I will now proceed to describe more in detail its constructionand operation.

In the construction of my machine I mount it on a suitable frame,preferably with four legs, which are designated with numeral l, ofsufcient height and strength to accommodate the working of the machineand at the same time supporting the same at proper elevation upon theiioor or other place where the machine is to be supported.

My machine has two graduated horizontal rolls 2 2. (Illustrated in Figs.l, 2, and 4.) Each roller has tapering screw-threaded surfaces runninglengthwise of the rollers,V and each succeeding space or graduatedportion between the screw-threaded edges tapers from the front to therear of the machine, as best illustrated in Fig. 4.

The rolls 2 2 are each formed With a gradually-reducing spiralsurface'from one end to the other thereof, and the gradually-reducingconvolutions of the spiral surface form the corresponding reducing-screwor spiral shoulder or edge from the large to the lsmall end of the rolland facing only toward the small end of the roll and offering noobstruction to the passage of fruit along said roll toward the small endthereof. Thus this spiral edge or shoulder faces onlyin the direction ofmovement of the fruit or other articles being carried longitudinally ofthe rolls from the large toward the small ends thereof. The gradualdiminution in diameter of each roll andthe screw shoulder or edgethereof are both formed by one and the same development of surfaces. Theroll is formed, as it Were, by winding a sheet of the thickness of thescrewshoulder' in the same manner as a paper spilL The sheet being wounduponitself with one edge diagonal to the axis forms a cylinder graduallydiminishing in diameter, the shoulders forming at once the spiral threadand the coeflicientof the diminution in diameter of the roll. Thisreference tothe paper spill is merely for the purpose of illustration ofthe exterior formation of each roll 2. It should be noted that by soforming the surface of each cylinder or roll 2 the screw or spiralshoulder or edge forms merely the sheer termination of the smoothcylinder-surface, there being nothing to impede the advance of the fruitas rapidly as the inclination of the rolls or other moving means willpermit, as hereinbefore set forth. These rolls 2 2 are arrangedlongitudinally of the machine and are mounted to turn onsubstantially-axial lines in suitablebearings 4 4 (best illustrated inFigs. 2 and 4 of the drawings) and are `made to rotate in the directionof the flight of arrows in Figs. 2 and 3 by means offbeveled gears 5 5,splined or secured to shaft 6,-the `beveled gears meshing intocorresponding beveled gears 7 7 on the trunnion which supports the frontend of graduated rollers 2 2. The rollers are mounted in the frame inthe same horizontal and centralvertical position, as illustrated in-Fig.4, lengthwise of the frame, so that by applying power to pulley 8 on theshaft the graduated rollers are turned in the direction of the flight ofarrows, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The vegetables or fruit is fed ontothe rollers through opening 9 through hopper lO, where the rotation ofthe rollers takes up the fruit and carries it rearward on the rollers,allowing the vegetables of different sizes to drop between the differentgraduated portions of the rollers and the larger and more selectportions of the fruit or vegetables being carried and dropped over therear of the frame. For facilitating IOO the movement of the fruitorvegetables I provide an endless, preferably, chain or link belt 11,running centrally and permanently between the rolls, which is driven bygearwheel 12, Fig. 4, splined to shaft 6, which meshes into pinion-gear13 on shaft 14, which carries sprocket-wheel 15 for driving the endlesschain over sprocket-idler 16, Fig. 2. For still further facilitating therearward movement of the vegetables or fruit I place crosswise of thechain at suitable intervals crossblocks or carriers 17.

For keeping the fruit or vegetables in the line of travel over thegraduated rollers I provide side boards 18 18, inclining at an anglefrom the vertical line. These side boards are held in position bybrackets 19 19, attached to the side board and secured to the frame, andas the vegetables or fruit drop from the hopper between the rolls at thefront of the machine the side boards guide the fruit and Vegetablesbackward, keeping them at all times where they can be separated bydropping between the graduated rolls as they are carried forward by themechanism already described.

For adjusting the graduated rollers to accommodate different sizes offruit or vegetables presented to the machine for separation I provideswinging brackets 2O 20, Fig. 2, which are pivoted to the frame at 2121, the rear ends of the rollers being journaled in the upper ends or'the brackets, while the lower ends of the brackets have curved slots 2222, through which I pass set-screws 23 23, so that by loosening theset-screws the brackets are permitted to swing on their pivotal supportsand the graduated rolls are brought closer togetheror farther apart, asthe exigencies of the case require.

\ Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire-tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a pair ofcooperating approximately-parallel rolls, each roll graduallydiminishing in diameter and having the spiral surface with the spiraledge or shoulder forming the sheer termination of said spiral surface,substantially as set forth, a pair of side boards supported above andnear the vertical axial lines of the rolls, an endless link belt betweenand approximately parallel with the axes of the rolls, and mechanism fordriving the movable parts, substantially as described.

i 2. In a separator, the combination of a pair of rotating rolls, eachroll gradually diminishing in diameter and formed with a spiral surfaceforming the corresponding spiral edge or shoulder facing only toward thedelivery end of the roll, substantially as described, a pair of sideboards supported longitudinally above the rolls, an endless link beltprovided with cross-blocks and running longitudinally of and between therolls, and actuating mechanism, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for assortin g fruit and like articles, a pair of rotarycylinders gradually diminishing in the direction of their length, eachcylinder having the spiral smooth surface formed with the correspondingspiral edge facing only toward the small end of the cylinder, asdescribed," mechanism for adjusting the axial center of the rolls inrelation to each other, a pair of side boards above and near the axialcenter of the rolls, an endless belt running parallel to the axis of therolls between the same, and mechanism for driving the movable parts,combined substantially as set forth, for the purposes stated.

4. In a machine for assortingfruit and like articles, a pair of rotatingcylinders, diminishing spirally in their diameter in the direction oftheir length, each cylinder having the spiral surface with thecorresponding spiraledged shoulder facing only toward the small end ofthe cylinder, substantially as set forth, mechanism for adjusting thecylinders with reference to their axial centers, side boards or hopperssupported above and near the axial center of the rolls, an endless linkbelt running between the axes of the rolls, and mechanism for drivingthe parts, combined, substantially as set forth for the purposes stated.

5. A separating-machine, substantially as described, comprising arotating cylinder gradually diminishing in diameter from one end to theother and formed with the spiral surface from end to end having thecorresponding spiral-edged shoulder facing only toward the small end ofthe cylinder and offering no obstruction to the advance of fruit alongthe cylinder, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me at Utica, New York, this 13th day of April, 1899.

MORRIS P. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

W. G. STONE, PHEBE A. TANNER.

IOC

